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"There's bounty hunters on the way Déshawn," Raena warned mentally.
"I know," I calmly told her.
"I mean, they're right behind me." She thought.
"Ah, do they know it?" I thought back to her abilities.
"No," she told me, suddenly by my side.
"Then let's move quickly." I grabbed her arm and we were off.
We headed off into the thick crowd in the market, having been attracted by the commotion.
"Raena, got a trick up your sleeve?" I asked her as we dodged through the people, hand in hand, with the bounty hunters blindly on our back.
"Yes, give me a second to work it out. Hiding you will be hard with an illusion." She said breathlessly.
"Don't rush," I comforted her.
"Over here," she pulled me next to a vendor.
I watched as more projected images came from her mind, just as she'd done back on the Federation ship. I thought it ironic that the last time I'd seen her do it, it was right before we got ourselves into this mess. An image of Raena and I running continued on, only more obviously, while another store popped into view in front of us.
"Sit down and meditate," I told her. "It will help you hold her focus."
We both sat down, I closed my eyes releasing my anxious feelings as easily as drawing poisoned blood. I felt the Force fill my mind and body, giving me a floating feeling as if nothing was beyond my limits. However, I calmed the urge to act and protect Raena and I. I knew I would have to learn to stop being so unsure of her skills, and learn to rely on her some. In fact, I thought, I should trust her skills completely. She's never yet failed me. I opened my eyes and saw a stream of bounty hunters running past our "stand" following "us" through the crowd.
"Let's go," I whispered to her.
"One second," she said.
I watched as our images "lost" them in the crowd, but they plunged on sure we'd be found again.
"Okay, where to?" she asked me, as our stand vanished.
"Roofs," I said. "Stay low. They'll have a bad angle on us from the ground."
We leapt onto the roofs easily and crouched low. We bounced across the roofs easily, unsure of where to go. I knew we'd have to leave the planet, we were being hunted every second on it, and I wanted a place where I could at least research my mothers method of death.
We finally grew too tired to continue running, so I stopped and let Raena rest her weary body. She literally flopped down on the spot, sweat soaked her clothes, and I noticed the abrasions on her beautiful face for the first time. I felt a twinge of guilt tug at my heart, I'd pushed her harder than I'd actually intended.
"I'm proud of you," I rubbed her face in a loving manner. "I love you."
"Thank you," she panted. "My love."
I stood up, Raena asleep at my feet. I welcomed the Force into my body and let my body emanate soothing Force to heal Raena. I watched as the bounty hunters soared off towards the ship that they'd come from and I decided to try my own illusion. I closed my eyes and let a shield of Force cover us. I focused on the texture, color, shade, and look of the roof we stood on, and projected it into my "shield". I opened my eyes, and smirked as they jet packed right past Raena and I. I sat down, legs folded under my body, in the universal Jedi meditative posture. I relaxed my mind until they were all gone, then I myself drifted off to sleep.
She shook her beautiful hair as she threw her head back laughing. She had a lean but muscular build. Her face was smooth, and held wide brown eyes that radiated kindness and curiosity. Her laugh echoed through my mind as I sat playing with my mother in front of the T.V. Suddenly the wall exploded in and she screamed as soldiers, bearing emblems I couldn't recognize, tried to grab her. Her instinct soon took over and her light saber came out. In a few dangerous flashes she'd annihilated the 5 soldiers. I turned to Shomari with a face full of fear. We both gripped the handles of our practice sabers, and she shook her head with a tearful face.
"This enemy is not yours to fight," she cried. "You two are to hide, until this is all over."
"Will you be back mommy?" Shomari's voice shook as if on the edge of sanity.
"I can't promise you anything," my mother, Ayana Jackson, told us. She had never lied to us and she didn't intend to start in what might be her last moments. "I'll do everything in my limited power to come back for you."
"Mother," I stood up. I was 5, small for my age, but mature and already powerful in the Force.
"Déshawn, protect your little brother with your life. Both of you remember; use the Force to defend yourselves only. Understand?" She quickly instructed us as she turned to leave.
"No please stay here with us. We need you." Shomari began to cry.
"Deuce listen," I turned to Shomari. "She has to go make sure it's safe. Don't worry, even if she doesn't make it back, she'll make sure we're alright."
"No!" His voice suddenly turned to a tone of wrath. "I'll help you. I'm powerful enough!"
"Stop it Shomari," she scolded as gently as she could. "You're a child, you're not ready yet."
"I love you mommy," I hugged her neck for the last time.
"I love you both," she pulled Shomari into one last family hug. She quickly kissed the both of us on the cheek.
I sat up straight, the sunlight hitting me in the face warming my already hot body.
"Good morning," Raena smiled from above me.
"God I'm burning up," I realized I was in the same position as I'd fallen asleep in.
"Your trick worked," Raena dumped a bucket of ice cold water on me.
"Ah!" I jumped a little but soon welcomed it. "That feels great."
"Don't ask my sources," she pointedly told me.
"What sources?" I smirked raising an eyebrow.
"Where to?" she asked.
"Off of this planet." I stood up. "We're heading back to Coruscant."
"What?" she sounded surprised.
"Why not head back to where they're coming from?" I said. "It's easier to avoid them if we're sure of when they'll be here."
"Well," she bit her nail. "I trust your judgement."
"Thank you," I said walking up to her.
"Hey! You two!" I heard a sharp voice yell at us. It was a blue alien, flying on what looked to be frail wings as they were pounding furiously to keep his chunky form afloat. His nose resembled an amputated elephants, and his baldhead shone furiously under Tatooine's two suns. "What are you doing on my store?"
"Bounty hunters," I hopped off of his store's roof with a friendly tone.
"Ah…" he hummed in and understanding tone. "Always poking around my store for refugees. Such as…yourselves."
"Well then," Raena lands on the ground next to me. "I'm guessing you've had plenty of requests on where to find a ship off of this Force forsaken planet."
"I happen to have a nice space pod, came from Yavin IV." He paused as if to let the effect of his words sink in. "Very fast, very comfortable."
"But this won't be without pay or work that's for sure," I grinned walking past him into the store.
"This is true," the shopkeeper grinned. "You're very sharp for a Jedi."
"Most Jedi are more quick witted than they let on," I continued.
"Well, very wise of you to not hide your intelligence." He chuckled.
"So, how good of a deal are you willing to bargain for?" Raena smiled circling around behind him.
"Hmmm," he said. "My last experience with a Jedi has left my faith in them very rattled. You have only Federation credits this is true?"
"Unfortunately," I nodded slowly.
"I need money from around here," he said irritated. "The Federation is nothing out here."
"We had hoped so. It's why we choose to hide from them here," Raena told him understandingly.
"But, I have here," I approached behind his back making him whirl around nervously. "A gift lost even to Jabba the Hutt."
"Oh?" he sounded interested.
"Yes," Raena continued in my place, the shopkeeper whirling around once again. "The great Hutt saw this once, but we didn't find him worthy of it."
"Indeed," I picked up. "His assistance was trivial at best."
"Well, I can guarantee my help will be much more satisfactory," he said.
"And hopefully swift," Raena added.
"Now…what is this bargaining chip of yours?" He rubbed his hand together.
"You're a Toydarian," I finally figured out the alien's roots.
"Exactly, so don't try any mind tricks on me." He warned.
"A more effective approach is to let the mind fool itself," Raena said in a sagely voice.
I reached into the right inside pocket of my robes and extracted the light saber crystal while the Toydarian was looking at Raena.
"Now tell me," I spoke up. "Do you know what this is?"
"It's," he turned. "Some kind of crystal."
"Not just any kind of crystal my good friend." Raena said as we began to circle the shopkeeper. "Only an exceptional Jedi could get a crystal like this."
"This crystal," I began as Raena continued our path around the Toydarian, which had the effect of making him very nervous. "Is found in the core of every light saber. It is the heart of the weapon and no light saber could function without it."
"Ah," he said thoughtfully, no longer trying to track our movement.
"The uses this crystal could be put to, especially someone with your expertise are limitless," Raena stopped.
"Hmm, I could design a new pod racer with it." He voiced his plans.
I continued my circle around him until I was next to Raena again, "Well then, do we have a deal?"
"Hmm," he hummed. I let my mind wander near his and felt him trying to think of some way to raise the price.
"Or," Raena must have sensed it too, "we're sure Jabba would like to see it again."
"He probably misses having for a shield on his door." I added.
"Deal," he suddenly said cutting off all thoughts of taking it back to the Hutt.
"Wise choice my friend." I bowed slightly in thanks.
"What are your names?" the Toydarian asked. "I'm known as Watto."
"Déshawn 'Blazin' Jackson at your services," I held my hand out.
"Raena Colonya," she shook Watto's hand after me.
"The Jedi assassins," he breathed.
"Our business does not bring us here," I told him. "So much as it forced us here."
"I hear they've already found two dead Evil Jedi here." Watto countered. "I doubt you two can escape your business if you tried."
"Too true," I told him. "But you should feel sufficiently safe."
"Only you know where this ship of yours is. And the access code." Raena pointed out.
"Jedi can read minds can they not?" he sounded skeptical.
"I thought a Toydarian's mind could not be manipulated?" I let out a sly smile.
"Quite right you are." He said. "Well, I'll enjoy my security until the ship is in your hands."
"You are secure with us as long as we have no fear in your presence." Raena said.
"I'm a shopkeeper, how could two Jedi fear me?" he raised his hands defensively.
"Then I guess we've reached an agreement." I resolved. "We'll give you the opportunity to test our payment first."
"That's very kind of you," he said.
"We'll be back tomorrow to collect our goods," Raena said as we both swept out of the store.